One year after rebirth, Lin Xuan's pill dao knowledge demanded application. In his previous life, he had become the youngest Heaven Grade pill master in three centuries; now he possessed formulas that wouldn't be invented for decades.
But premature revelation invited death. Grand Elder Mo's betrayal had taught that lesson thoroughly.
He needed a proxy. Someone to sell his pills, absorb attention, attract the dangers that accompanied valuable formulas.
The Black Market provided: a failing pill master named Chen Wei, whose legitimate business collapsed after producing contaminated batches. Desperation made him recruitable; pride made him controllable.
Lin Xuan approached masked, voice disguised, offering three formulas: Marrow Cleansing Pill (removes cultivation impurities), Spirit Restoration Powder (accelerates energy recovery), and Bone Forging Tablet (strengthens physical body). All common in his previous era, revolutionary now."Who creates these?" Chen Wei demanded."A master who values anonymity. You claim authorship, absorb glory and risk. I take seventy percent profit.""Thirty percent for my reputation's risk?""Your reputation is already destroyed. This rebuilds it or leaves you rotting."
Chen Wei capitulated. Lin Xuan provided detailed production instructions, watched the first batches succeed, then disappeared into operational shadow.The pills transformed Azure Cloud's cultivation economy. Marrow Cleansing Pills allowed stuck cultivators to advance; demand exceeded supply by orders of magnitude. Chen Wei's "revival" became legend, attracting sect attention, marriage proposals, assassination attempts.Lin Xuan monitored everything through hidden agents. Three attempts on Chen Wei's life occurred in four months; two succeeded in killing body doubles Lin Xuan had arranged. The pill master's survival became dependent on his shadow partner's foresight.
Profit accumulated: thirty thousand spirit stones in six months, more than most Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed. Lin Xuan invested in materials, information networks, and—critically—protective artifacts for his true identity.The Lin Clan's third young master remained sickly, unremarkable, forgotten by all except servants who appreciated his generous tips and minimal demands.Meanwhile, Crippled Crow occasionally reappeared for specific Black Market needs. Ashen Ghost continued arena combat, now ranked among Ashen Arena's top ten anonymous fighters. And a new identity—Elder Qing, mysterious pill dao consultant—advised Chen Wei's growing operation.
Fragmentation protected. Even if one identity fell, others remained. Lin Xuan cultivated this philosophy alongside his spiritual advancement: never concentration, always distribution.Qi Refinement eighth layer. One year, eight layers. In his previous life, he had achieved six layers in equivalent time, considered exceptional.The fractured ley line's benefits exceeded expectation. Two years remained before sealing; he needed Foundation Establishment before then, to fully exploit the temporary paradise.